I wondered if we would get anything else from the Duchess of Cambridge today, as Hold Still is now on sale. Hold Still is the coffee table book full of photos selected by Kate and a National Portrait Gallery committee. All of the photos are “portraits in a pandemic” and the images are genuinely moving. This morning, Kate got up bright and early (I think it was around 10 or 11 am GMT) and posed with a copy of Hold Still… on the grounds of Kensington Palace? For the Book Fairies? I wasn’t completely clear about that, but sure. The book is already a bestseller. Pay attention to the numbers because the Mail will start fudging all of the sales data when The Bench is published.
Soon after that minor social media stunt, Kate left the Kensington Palace complex and made a trip to the National Portrait Gallery. This feels like the first time in a while that Kate has been allowed to do a solo event! William has been tagging along on her events for a few months now, probably because he’s been sh-tting bricks about Kate being asked about the crying-at-a-wedding-fitting story (a story which just won’t die).
According to the Mail, her coat is Eponine and it’s so expensive that you can only get the price if you apply for it. Coats from the label regularly retail for $1000-2000. I feel like this is way too orange-y for Kate’s coloring? It doesn’t look bad, per se, I would just rather see it in another color (NOT BLUE). And look at the buttons! LOL. She also carried a £295 micro-handbag from DeMellier. Poor Kate, she’d much rather be staring into the walled abyss of Kensington Palace right now. Also: she looks totally different when she wears a disposable mask for adults! I wonder why she went for an adult-sized disposable mask and not one of her favorite kid-sized masks?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
I can’t help it. I love this coat. I think she looks lovely and she seems to be working a little more then she used too. Not gonna poop on it today.
Agreed!
Came here to say the same thing. I really like this coat. I would wear this coat. Kate looks good in this coat. Kate’s make-up looks good from what I can see. However, I do not like the shoes. I would have worn black shoes or matchy-matchy shoes.
Back to the coat, the buttons work on this coat because they are the same color as the fabric of the coat but provide texture contrast without hitting you in the face.
She matched her shoes to her handbag, so that’s pretty matchy-matchy. I thought the brown was a good choice with this particular red.
Not loving the coat; for that money, WHY is the back (bottom) longer than the front?? Did someone forget to hem it evenly?
Love the little bag though. Wish I could get away with it, but I wouldn’t be able to fit anything in it (not that she carries anything more than a kleenex and maybe a breath mint.
ETA: Just saw this on the handbag’s website (SHADES OF M&H!!):
A Bag, A Life
For every item you purchase, we fund lifesaving vaccines and treatments
aimed to save the life of a child in need.
I’m happy the accessories aren’t nude. The nude court pumps are given a rest! Taupe is nice to see for a change.
Actually, I personally really like the color (I’m big on colorful coats to offset dreary weather), but seems weird and wrinkly in the front in the first pic. For that kind of money that fabric should be smooth as butter.
Said the same thing below. A good coat, one that costs a lot–as this one surely did–shouldn’t wrinkle so easily.
Nice coat. What’s with the janky hem tho?
I like the coat and color but same feeling that it looks wrinkly or doesn’t lay quite right, esp in the front view. And for something bespoke that just seems like a rip off.
Ok relooked and I like the color actually but not the coat really at all. The collar isn’t working for me.
dupe #2 – doh!
dupe
I love the coat and those are the best shoes she has ever worn. She usually has chunky heels.
Meghan has worn these shoes before in olive (Ralph Lauren Celia).
Meghan has a bag by this designer already.
Kate’s coat looked awful when she sat down – it had a weird oval cut
The coat was all puckered up at the buttons when she sat down.
Kate already has at least 9 red coats.
But it shows the wrinkles. What kind of coat wrinkles?
Well, it apparently isn’t wool, otherwise it wouldn’t wrinkle. But how many coats does she need? My god, she could conduct her OWN coat drive for London with all of the coats she owns!! It’s such a waste.
BothSidesNow, she could CLOTHE ALL of the women in London with the number of coats she already owns (and probably sold off by now).
Didn’t she also wear a different long red coat the last time she was doing something for Hold Still? Viewing a mural of one of the photos? Is red the color of the national portrait gallery or something?
Wrinkles like crazy, sleeves are too short, and the hem is wonky front to back (because of her posture or poor tailoring I cannot tell).
What is this, red coat #25?
I dont like the coat, a little too wrinkly for me and also a litte bit too long. I also don’t like the combination of brown purse and heels. Buut that set of handbag and shoes are nice, just not with that coat. I’m used to seeing her with heels that seem either less fashionable or too chunky
I dont like the coat, a little too wrinkly for me and also a litte bit too long. I also don’t like the combination of brown purse and heels. Buut that set of handbag and shoes are nice, just not with that coat. I’m used to seeing her with heels that seem either less fashionable or too chunky. but Kate has a great weekend boot game!
I love this coat as well and the combination with (Meghan) neutrals. I kid!
Agree!
Love this coat. Love how the color pops! (it’s said QE2 wears such bright colors so she can be easily noticed. Seems like Kate took a page). I’m not even mad at the buttons!
Hold still, I think it’s the Duchess of Buttons.!
omg I’m dying.
🤣
Lolol
What’s so hilarious about her liking buttons?
I like the coat (its not as red as I thought it was in the other post) but damn how many coats does she need?!?! I also think I may like the skirt underneath but its hard to tell.
Good for Kate for actually doing some work. She did an event! not on zoom! Without William! Yay Kate! Now keep it up!
She really liked that coat because she didn’t take it off for any of the interior shots.
It’s a royal thing. The queen never takes her coat off, either.
It’s really not. Sophie and Camilla don’t do that and the Queen is an old woman who doesn’t do sit down discussions like this. This is just Kate.
I’m guessing like her other events, she doesn’t stay long enough to bother with taking off her coat.
Geez, how many long red coats does she need? That’s what kills me. X number of long red coats, x number of short red coats, x number of red blazers. It’s ridiculous.
Agreed! She looks good and she’s WORKING!
You see work going on here?
They are already comparing Kate and Meghan’s books. Good grief. Who cares.
Meanwhile, I want to take a brush to Kate’s hair. And she looks like a prototype for The Handmaid’s Tale in that long red buttony high collar coat.
It’s a stupid comparison anyway because they are such drastically different books.
And one book has a global reach whereas the other is local to the UK. They really don’t want to compare because it’s not going to be pretty when the sales are counted.
Right?!!? There is literally NOTHING to compare. Not even the fact that two duchesses wrote a book — ONE duchess wrote a book, the other is a hanger-on to a project executed by other people and got to have her name slapped on the front.
It’s weird because Kate didn’t create this book. She is not the author…So the comparison doesn’t even begin.
That’s what I assumed but was not sure. Thanks Lemons.
Let’s just say Kate signed the forward and leave it at that.
I surprisingly like the outfit- I think the colour photographs well and suits her?
Also I have a great love for long coats so the whole thing works for me.
She looks great, love coat color with the brown accessories, and this is the perfect engagement for her. This is the Kate I liked to see when I was a very casual royal watcher, before they tried to destroy Meghan and made me look closer at the rest of them, and find them sorely lacking. She should do more of these (and get her media contacts to stop comparing her to Meghan, it never works out for well for Kate)
Yes. Kate looks lovely here and I know nothing about fashion but love the handbag and shoes! I wish the media would quit pushing the stupid comparisons too. Just report on what they are both doing and leave the be out of it. Grow up BM!
Looking great!
She has looked great since she got a fresh round of Botox before her 10th anniversary photo shoot. Look at that suddenly wrinkle free brow!
She looks great! Nice coat, nice bag (influenced by Meg as that is a brand she made more famous). She’s doing good things for this project and can’t fault her for actually working!
@nicegirl your comment is gold, thank you for that!!
I absolutely love the bag…The coat, I’m not crazy about that line on her, it has the same silhouette as what she wore to Prince Philip’s funeral. I feel the line just looks too long, too thin, perhaps if it was a shorter hem.
The National Portrait Gallery is fantastic; it houses some of my favorite paintings of all time.
She looks good in that coat and it’s good to see Kate in a mask too. She may have all of the buttons today!
The mask looks like they bought it at a quick mart on the way and made her put it on in the car. Like she wasn’t going to wear one or forgot.
She is working, goob job new media guy.
I really want to hear her voice and thought when she is working.
Can the media guy book her for live interview?
I like Kate’s bag & name of the brand sounded familiar. What do you know- brand that Meghan helped put on the map when she got engaged. Camilla has supported them too- think the business got a grant from the Princes Trust. And not sure I’ve seen her wear many pleated skirts before. But so many of Kate& William’s moves & the weird surveys from KP interns suggest their advisors said copy& paste.
I love the national portrait gallery and hope this book helps them with gap from ticket sales during the pandemic. Hold Still was a great project for Kate to front. More of this please.
Kate had limited contribution to Hold Still so a better comparison for Hold Still is the Together Cookbook or better the cookbook her husband did the foreword to. Wonder how the Passage did sales wise but guess they need to drag Meghan into it to get people to click on the article
, but I don’t like how Kate gets all the credit. The photographers and the National Portrait Gallery should get the lion’s share of it. And Kate is no professional photographer. Her photos pale in comparison with
royal photographers like Beaton and Snowdon.
The irony of a brand named after a poverty-stricken and tragic character from Les Mis, where a garment can only be purchased if you’re not poor enough to need to ask the price. 🙄😂
I don’t see that as a better comparison. Kate had nothing to do with the making of this book. The photo project wasn’t her idea, the NPG staff did all the work, the photos were taken by others. Kate showed up to pose and take credit.
The Together cookbook happened because Meghan MADE it happen. No comparison.
First solo engagement since the Oprah interview. I’m not sure what she was afraid of because the press was never going to shout any questions to her.
Anyway, it’s clear that this week is the beginning of KP’s relaunch of the Cambridges. It may be too early to know whether these new tactics will be successful but no question the Oprah interview had a big impact on William and Kate. However not big enough for KP to get rid of Jason Knauf.
The color looks good with the tan from wherever the Cambridges were on vacay.
I just want a video of her coat closet….
It’s more than PR that the two need. They still ousted Harry and Meghan.
Yet another new coat, and we are not hearing screeching from the taxpayers 🤔
I’d wear the hell out of that coat.
A nice coat on a horrible woman.
+1
Nicely tailored dress coat but the style and colour is the same that Jetstar airlines crew wear unfortunately. If the designer was using them as inspo they definitely nailed it.
I think the color is too bright but that’s just a personal preference. It’s a very “spring” color and it’s nice that her shoes/bag are a neutral color that compliment the coat well.
Nice coat. I really like it. And thank god she’s wearing a mask. The royals really should have been more consistent with their mask wearing and have worn them on engagements
Maybe she has difficulties finding masks that fit. I do, and have thought of trying children’s masks. But with all her resources you would think she would have a collection of custom (*matching*) masks.
New expensive bag, coat and shoes to promote a book about the pandemic that has left so many struggling to this day to pay their bills. Yup seems about right along the Karen keenbridges tone deaf line
I can’t dislike this coat enough. Wrinkled, hem askew, terrible length and shape, sleeves and neckline, giant buttons. Doesn’t look spring-y in the least…can’t believe this is what $$$$ buys you! Nice bag. Glad she’s working. Matching mask like FLOTUS does would have been a truly put-together professional look. Too much for Katie to deliver
There’s a photo (I think on the fail) where she’s sitting with her legs akimbo and the beige skirt she’s wearing underneath makes it look REALLY…awkward. I had to do a double take
I thought I was the only one. When I saw the photos of her sitting down on my phone I was like what?!? Definitely awkward.
I like the coat. But her bag is SO Meghan. 😀
Why does the Duchess of Cambridge so often wear a bandaid/plaster on one of her fingers/thumbs? We see one (again) in this photo from today. Curious.
I noticed this as well.
There’s been a lot of speculation through the years that its due to an eating disorder: Small injuries from scraping the backs of her fingers/hands on her teeth during bulimic episodes.
Button injury.
Gardening or workout injuries is my bet.
All Kate needs to do is get a center part 90’s Bob and have more of a chocolate color to her hair. She will instantly look smarter and more stylish. And she can be the trendsetter…because those shoes she’s wearing are telling me that we are going to get a straight up fashion face off between her and Meghan moving forward.
Also…is she not wearing pantyhose!?!?! Scandal!
Kate and William are ramping up their public exposure this week because they know that, if they don’t, they would be in the backseat in terms of visibility and publicity in the light of the heady activities of the Sussexes lately and in the days ahead. This weekend all the Cambridge activities this week will again be overshadowed by Meghan and Harry’s VAX Live concert. The Sussexes will flood the news. And the furious and jealous Cambridge attack dogs the royal rota will smear and harass the Sussexes again.
I like this coat – vibrant colour but not sure its a Kate colour. She looks good in darker colours, esp greens and browns.
agree – this would look better if it were maroon or another fall color. i liked the coat otherwise at first glance but for a bespoke piece it seems a little lacking. are the sleeves too short or is it just me?
She looks very pretty
Anyone following Kate longer has seen her wearing pleated skirts before?
And I’m really curious about the weather in UK. Is it still winter? Where I live May is the hottest month. So it feels weird to me watching them in coats.
I like her hair here, handbag and the colour of the coat, not the coat itself.
I don’t mind the coat or the bag. I think what’s missing is just some, like, confidence on Kate’s part.
Is the bar so low that wearing a coat is considered work? Waity is so lazy all the stans go crazy when she buys new shoes and steps out of one of her many homes.
has she removed her hair extensions?
Wiglet is still in, and you can see she’s had her hair dyed with blond highlights.
I adore De Mellier, l have a bag myself and are really good value, but Kates one is far too small for this look, looks ridiculous, coat is flattering, agree not too sure about de colour, hair should of been up to show off de collar, maybe a edgier shoe, def not a court shoe, wonder who is doing her styling now ? Suppose she is out and about
I like the cut of the coat a lot and it flatters her. I don’t love that shade of red, but I guess it more appropriate to Spring than a richer one. Her hair looks a little messy, but overall she looks nice and it’s a good event to be doing. That’s all I have.
She looks very out of place – rather like someone who is styled for a beauty pageant but is supposed to be going to a corporate job interview. The look could be acceptable in other situations but seems far too glamorous and self-promoting for a book about a pandemic that has plunged millions into poverty and cost many more their lives. Rather too cheerful indeed but it seems her mind is just incapable of connecting the dots…